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" @gli dei UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ED\VARD K. GODFREY, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

PAPER-FILE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,363, dated December 21, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

fBe it known that I, EDWARD K. GODFREY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Instruments known as Paper or Letter Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and clear description of the same.

The nature of my invention consists in the method of combining with the back, or steadying weight, the hooks or wires c, and (l, by forming a groove or channel in the lower surface of the back or steadying' weight, so that when the ends of t-he hooks or wires are bent down in the groove and united by a small touch of solder, they are more securely and firmly held from turning in the holes 1, o2, to prevent dropping the files of papers, than by any other means equally cheap or lasting', and at the same time allowing the back or steadying weight to be set down flat upon the table, so as to give firmness and steadiness to it when overhauling the file of papers on the hooks. But to describe my invention more particularly I will refer to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification the same letters of reference wherever they occur referring to like parts.

Figure l, represents a perspective view of the paper or letter file. Fig. 2, represents a vertical cutl section of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse cut section of the same, through the line m-w, Fig. 2. Figs. A and 5, represent a perspective and cut section of the instrument, as applied and used as a letter file with a portfolio attached.

Letter a, is the back of the tile made of any suitable material and shape desired. In the upper and lower end of it are drilled or formed in the operation of casting the back two small holes 1, b2. In the lower hole 1, is inserted the end of an elastic wire c. This wire is pointed at its upper end so as to puncture the paper' readily, and is bent or curved from the face of the back into which it is secured, into any required curve to adapt it to holding' the le of papers to best advantage. As a mode of securing the shank of the hook to the underside of the back, it is bent up and flattened down so as to tit a channel formed on the underside of the back, and then soldered. By thus binding the shank and securing it in the channel a small touch of solder holds it firmly, so that the hook on which the file of papers is suspended will not be able to get out of place or be likely to turn and drop the file of papers if attempted to be secured by means of riveting or screw threads. Either of these modes are inferior to my mode, besides less expeA ditious as a means of attaching and at the same time costing more.

In the upper hole b2, is inserted a double wire (Z, of suitable length and curve to cover the pointed end of the wire c, and thereby forms by their Contact a continuous or endless paper flle. The shanks of this double wire are secured on the underside of the back, a in the same way and for the same objects referred to as the mode of securing the hook c. It will be seen that the wire (Z, is doubled. The object of this is to form a natural channel to hold the point of the hook c, to sheath it as it were, to allow the papers on the hook c, to be transferred or shifted to the wire (Z, with little, if any obstruction or liability to tear a large hole in it, and thus facilitate the search of the tile for papers. Another object in view in making the transferring hook or file holder (Z, of doubled wire, is that it is a cheaper material, because already prepared for application and use, requiring no special mechanism to shape it to produce the groove or channel toV sheath the point of the hook c. It will be obvious therefore that the use of the double wire (I, has for its peculiarity the formation of the groove or channel formed by the contact of the rounded surfaces of the two wires. To form such a groove or channel in any single piece of metal, and curve the wire to the requisite shape, would involve the invention of a variety of devices to accomplish it. By the use of wire of the proper elasticity however no such additional appliances are needed. The materials are complete in themselves, and need but the skilful and ingenious manipulating of them, to give them their new functions, and endow them with properties not before known of in connection with the olfices required of them.

Having now described my invention and its mode of operation I will proceed to set forth what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States.

I am aware that the method of locking the points of the receiving and transferring hooks or wires, have been used as applied to another purpose, and therefore make no claim to this feature of my improved paper and letter file; but

Vhat I do claim and desire to secure is ing, and dropping the file of papers as would The method of securing the receiving and be the ease if the ends of the Wires were transferring hooks e, and CZ, t0 the b21-ck or simply riveted into the back.

steadying Weight a, by folding and uniting EDVARD K. GODFREY. 5 their ends down the entire length of the Witnesses:

channel or groove in the lower surface of ROBT. S; ROWLEY,

the hack, so as to prevent them from tWist- CHARLES L. BARRITT. 

